Tuesday, April 15, 2014

We may be from different sides of the pond, but Tom Friedman and I are on the same side on the idea of the future – Average is over. There is no room now and ever again for being okay. Be the best or start looking somewhere else.

Saatchi S CEO Annie Longsworth recently had the chance to see Friedman speak. And these are the five pieces of wisdom she took away from the experience. They certainly kick-start the brain into thinking.

1. Be like an immigrant – a paranoid optimist. i.e. pursue opportunities more energetically, persistently and creatively than anybody else.

2. Be like an artist – full of pride for your work with complete commitment to your craft.

3. Always be in beta – be willing (and eager) to learn, relearn and relearn again (further to this, always question how you can improve, improve, improve).

4. Remember that PQ (passion quotient) and CQ (curiosity quotient) are greater than IQ. (To this point I would add that you need to always consider your EQ (emotion quotient), your TQ (technological quotient) and your BQ (your body quotient be bloody quick!)

5. Be like the waitress from Perkins Pancake House – know what you control and how be entrepreneurial with it. To illustrate this point, Friedman describes an experience he had at the pancake house in his hometown. The waitress didn’t control much, but she did control the fruit ladle. She demonstrated her entrepreneurial instinct and brought Friedman and his friend extra fruit, earning herself a 50% tip!